Number of Scripted Original Series Hits 455 in 2016

ADVERTISEMENT

NEW YORK: According to new FX Networks Research figures, a record 455 scripted original series went out this year across broadcast, cable and streaming services.

Of the 455 reported, 181 were on basic cable, 36 were on pay cable and 145 were broadcast-network shows. Streaming services saw 93 series, up from the 46 reported a year ago.

For the five-year period from 2011 to 2016, basic cable has seen a bump of 63 percent, while pay cable is just 9 percent (though from 2002 to 2016 pay cable charted a 112 percent spike). Broadcast networks saw a 25 percent leap from 2011 to 2016 with the number of scripted originals, while online registered a whopping 1,450 percent increase for that same five-year period.

“Peak TV was once again far from peaky in 2016, with a record 455 scripted original series across broadcast, cable and streaming sources,” said Julie Piepenkotter, the executive VP of research at FX Networks. “This estimate reps an 8 percent increase over just last year (421 in 2015)—but an astonishing 71 percent increase over five years ago (266 in 2011) and 137 percent over a decade ago (192 in 2006).”